ACLU to Take Legal Action Against Chilis Due to Discrimination Facing LGBTQ Employee

The ACLU has announced that they plan to take legal action against Chilis due to discrimination [...]

By Stephen Andrew

The ACLU has announced that they plan to take legal action against Chilis due to discrimination against an LGBTQ employee.

In a statement shared to Twitter, the group stated, "BREAKING: We're taking legal action against [Chilis] for forcing a lesbian server to quit because she didn't fit her boss' idea of what a woman should look like."

"Women and LGBTQ workers too often face discrimination because we 'don't look the part,'" the statement added.

The ACLU elaborated more on the situation in a blog post in their website, sharing that this specific act of discrimination took place at a Chili's Grill & Bar in Phoenix, Arizona.

Server Meagan Hunter had hoped to gain a promotion based on the quality of her performance, but was reportedly told by her general manager that she dressed "inappropriately" for someone who wished to climb the ranks.

"We really want to hire you," he reportedly told her. "However, we need you to dress more gender appropriate."

Surprised at his words, Hunter asked, "Are you telling me that I need to have my breasts hanging out to be successful in your company?"

The manager allegedly replied, "Not in those words."

She later inquired as to why she could not wear a chef-style coat similar to what the manager wore, but says that she was told, "It's for boys."

Hunter added that she was eventually told the manager in question confessed that he chose not to promote her to a bartender position because he "didn't want a gay girl behind the bar," due to his belief that this would not draw in the "right kind" of patrons.

"Meagan's story is shocking, but it is far from unique. All too often, women and LGBTQ people are excluded from opportunities at work and school because they don't look the part," the ACLU post added. "In Meagan's case, her boss told her she wouldn't advance professionally because she did not look feminine enough. Yet on plenty of occasions, women and LGBTQ people face criticism if they dress in a manner that's deemed too revealing or attractive."

At this time, it does not appear that Chili's has responded to the ACLU's plan to take legal action on behalf of Hunter.

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